Tag Archives: East Norwich NY

Fairleigh was designed by the architects Trowbridge and Livingston in 1914 for the George S. Brewster family. It now serves as The Hoffman Center, a private nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary that is occasionally open to the public.

Front of Fairleigh

I was visiting Fairleigh for a lecture about horse and automobile racing on Long Island. The cars in front of the mansion were on exhibit.

Rear Facade of Fairleigh

It was raining the day of my visit, so I did not get many exterior photos. This one shows the rear facade of Fairleigh.

Rear Terrace

The terrace, looking towards the terrace room, which was recently added to the estate.

Notice the moat in the above picture. It is lined with cobble stones taken from the streets of NYC’s Chelsea section – which is how the mansion got its name. It is said that the Moore children regularly played in the moats.

Chelsea Moat

In the foreground of the above picture you can just make out the cobblestones.

Center Court Patio

The patio, shown above, is also said to be lined with stones taken from the streets of NYC’s Chelsea section. Apparently the Moores’ first home was located in Chelsea.

Moat and Garden Gate

The circular garden gate is asian in style. The service wing of the house is on the other side of it.

Service Wing

Garden Gate

The above photo is taken looking through the garden gate towards the court yard and moat.

Serpentine Garden Wall next to pond

Another architectural gem in the garden is this serpentine wall.

Abandoned Garden Fountain

There are some over grown formal gardens. While exploring them I literally stumbled into this large abandoned fountain. It must have been something special when it was functioning.

Fountain Detail

The fountain was lined every few feet with these carvings.

Driveway to stables / garage

It had been several years since my last visit. I forgot how long the entrance driveway was. This is just a small part of it.